WAR QUESTIONS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2639, 9 December 1915, Page 6

WAR QUESTIONS

RETURNED SOLDIERS & PROMOTION

TRAVELLING RESTRICTIONS

OUR READERS' VIEWS'" n (To the Editor.) n ® JUSTICE TO RETURNED PRIVATES. ° Sir,—The friends and relatives of invalided privates of the Main Force, of good record,_ will heartily sympatnise ■ with the views of your correspondent "Justice," and be amazed at the deciI-. sion of the Minister of Defence that y all such soldiers, when lit, must return ) to the front with the rank with which they landed here, and that they are 0 disqualified from securing rank of any 1 kind in the Reinforcements. v Surely the men who have fought in Gallipoli, and have gained a practical y and valuable knowledge of warfare, - have at least as much right to whatever promotion is going in the Reinforcements as recent recruits in the non-commissioned' officers' camp who 0 have never been to the front. ,It is s quite certain that in open competition j many would secure higher rank than a j great number of the non-coms and junior officers appointed to the lleiii. lorcements, by reason of their general B attainments. and war service, and it j seems most unfair that the very wai service which has so enhanced their value should be the barrier preventing promotion to rank in the Reinfoseemonts. In other words, their eager- ■ ness in enlisting is now turning out to 1 their disadvantage, as compared with 3 men who aro enlisting to-day. Soldiers returning to the front should be able to claim at least equality of treatment with men of the Reinforce- . nients, and if there is any regulation - prohibiting this, the Minister can and 3 should abolish it at once. If he does , not, and continues to allow active acr- . vice to prevent the promotion of a man . to rank in tile Reinforcements, then one can only conclude that ho baa somo t - strange bias against returned soldiers. . —I. am, etc., ' SURPRISED. ; Sir,—A letter appears in your issuo i of December 6, over the signature "JusWee," mid attached to it is a rather • evasive explanation from the Hon Jas. [ Allen—evasive because it does not reply to tho contention of the writer of tlio letter. I may say that a friend of mine wont out with the Main Body as a private— ; and was wounded. He returned home a private—and having recovered sufficiently to return to the front desired to do so as a private—-but ho was persuaded to take a commission, and is going out as a lieutenant. Two sergeants in the Nelson Company who'went out in the Main Body had long service iu volunteer and Territorial forces, ; had full training in Egypt, served in the trenches—one for five and a half months—wounded, invalided home, now apply for permission to enter for qualifying examinations for commissions thus enabling them to accept commissions if available. These men are refused permission to sit for examination. Surely this class of men arc worthy of encouragement, especially in the direction of adding to their qualifications as soldiers while awaiting their opportunity to further serve their country;. I am quite sure that Mr. Allen cannot reconcile this treatment of soldiers with the paragraph from the recently issued Recruiting Handbook quoted bv "Justice." I do sincerely hope th'aS' Mr. Allen will soon take in hnivi the reorganisation of the Defenc? JVvmrtment on business linos, so that i:-- ■ Ih ability will receive encouragement h every possible way; more especially in tha direction of appointment of officers, which is at present done in a most unsatisfactory manner.—l am, etc., NEW ZEALAND. Picton, December 7. Sir, —As you are probably aware, the Commonwealth of Australia have mado it necessary for persons between the ages of 18 and 45 to obtain a passport if they wish to leave Australia. On application at the Customs Office, 0112 has to produce all sorts of identity forms, photographs, full personal description, etc. One has to be personally known to anyone who vouches as to oiie's identity. If 0110 was a criminal it could not be harsher. It is going to do- a lot of harm to. New Zealand. It will block all tho tourist traffic, besides ordinary business trips. I would suggest that the Dominion Government communicate and arrange with the Commonwealth authorities t-liat the New Zealand Agent, Mr. Blow,: be authorised to issue cards to, bona-fide residents and: natives of New Zealand, also tourists, his sanction or identification to be accepted fry the Defence Department here, and persons thus be relieved from delays, annoyance, and expense. Even people with return tickets have so far to conform to the regulations, or risk being detained. Trusting you will endeavour to bring this matter üßder tlio Dominion Government's notice, —I am etc A. REYNELL. Sydney, October 30. RECRUITINC DIFFICULTIES. Sir,—Would you kindly allow mo space.in .your paper for this letter? Seeing by the report of the Bank of New Zealand meeting of directors that 100 men are still waiting their turn to be allowed to go to the front, confirms what I have heard for months. That is, that members of the staff of the Bank of New Zealand have been kept back for six months and longer after asking the bank for leave to ioin the forces. I have hoped that a more able pen than mine would take this matter up. Does it seem just in the face of tho urgent call that is being mado for volunteers, that such institutions should hold men back? Is it not time that all should realise that it is men—and more men—and at once that is wanted? Is it fair to the employees for them to bo held back? I have asked several bank clerks if they have enlisted, and have invariably received the same reply: "Nowhat's the good? Tho war will he over before the bank will let us go!" Of course these men could go if they save the bank three months' notice, but then they must resign and forego their halfnay, which has happened to somo who have felt it their duty to go and not wait. If vther institutions are acting in tlio same manner, consider the number of men who are being held back , from helping our boys who have done ; and are doing their duty at tho front. ' —I am, etc.,

ONLY A WOMAN. Fending, December 6. TOur correspondent's reference is to tho following from the speech of the chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, at its recent meeting of the bank's shareholders: "As far as our staff, including London, Australia, and Fi.ij.. is concerned, everything possible is being done fin the way of recruiting]. We have at present 16-1 men on military service, and 100 who have volunteered and are waiting t'heir turn to be relieved. Thirteen of those gone to tho front have lost their lives, ana twenty-two have been wounded. I am sure you will join with me in extending our heartfelt sympathy to tho relatives of our gallant officers who have fallen in defence of King and country. When al! the volunteers have joined the forces! our pay-sheet for men on activo service will reach something like £20.000 per annum—in itself, a very substantial ,cgu.tnbulioa to tlift war fluids,'[.'l w .... .. j